Automatic chain type poultry feeder



L. 1. FLANNERY ErAL 2,715,887

AUTOMATIC CHAIN TYPE POULTRY FEEDER Aug. 23, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 9, 1950 Aug. 23, 1955 L. l. FLANNERY ETAL 2,715,887

AUTOMATIC CHAIN TYPE POULTRY FEEDER Filed Oct. 9, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALBERT T. PAuLsoN/M/ BY LEE l. FLANNERY Aug. 23, 1955 L.. l. FLANNr-:RY ET AL 2,715,887

AUTOMATIC CHAIN TYPE POULTRY FEEDER Filed Oct. 9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5. FIG.

INVENTOR. ALBERT T. PAuLsoNd/fa/ By LEE l. FLANNERY United States Patent Oiiice 2,715,887 Patented Aug. 23, 1955 AUTGMATIC CHAIN TYPE POULTRY FEEDER Lee I. Flannery and Albert T. Paulson, Centerville, S. Dak.

Appiieation October 9, 1950, Serial No. 189,247

2 Claims. (Cl. 119-S2) This invention relates to poultry feeding apparatus and has for its primary object to enable a large number of birds to be fed in a relatively short time, and with feeds of the desired composition.

ln commercial poultry raising where large ocks of birds must be periodically fed, and particularly in the raising of turkeys, the problem of proper distribution of the feed to the feed troughs becomes one of great magnitude. Also owing to the tendency of the birds to perch on objects suspended above the ground level, the problem of keeping the feed in the feed troughs in a clean condition is also presented.

Another object of this inventionis to enable feed to be distributed to the feed troughs in a minimum amount of time and with a minimum amount of labor.

A further object is to keep the birds from perching above the feed troughs so as to keep the feed deposited therein in a clean and sanitary condition.

A still further object is to return excess feed to the storage bin so as to effect economies in operation.

rEhe above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a substantially horizontal conduit having longitudinally spaced feed discharge openings therein with troughs suspended therefrom to receive feed discharged from the conduit through said openings, means operating in a closed path and extending through the conduit for moving feed longitudinally through the conduit to and past the discharge openings, and means for introducing feed into the conduit for longitudinal movement by the means which operates in the closed path,

Other features include mounting a section of the conduit for rotation about its longitudinal axis, providing in said section an elongated opening through which feed may be introduced into said section and a divided hopper or bin for retaining feeds of two different characters so that by rotating the section, the slot may be made to register with either side of the hopper in order to deliver feeds of different characters through the conduit.

Still other features include suspending from the conduit beneath the discharge openings therein feed troughs, and forming the conduit in separate sections, each independently rotatable so that the discharge openings in a section may be moved into a position to prevent the discharge of the feed moving through said section into its respective feed trough.

Still other features include means at the end of the conduit remote from the feed receiving end thereof for collecting the excess feed carried through said conduit and retaining it to its respective storage bin.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary side View of poultry feeding apparatus embodying the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an end view of the poultry feeding apparatus illustrated in Figure l showing the divided bin and the means for returning excess feed to the bin;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the feed receiving section of the conduit and the discharge spout of the feed bin;

Figure 5 is an enlarged side View partly in section of the feed receiving hopper;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6 6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged side View of one of the feed troughs of the demountable type;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 8 8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the line 9 9 of Figure 7 with the feed trough omitted.

Referring to the drawings in detail a conduit 10. is comprised of a group of separate tubular sections 12 which may be supported on standards, or provided with collars 15 having suspension eyes 16 for the reception of suspending cables or chains 18 by which the conduits may be suspended from the ceiling of a building in spaced relation to the floor thereof. In the preferred form of the invention, each of the sections 12, which are of course tubular in cross section, has at one of its ends an integral collar or sleeve 14 and its other end is engaged in the collar of an adjacent section for rotation about its longitudinal axis and each section is provided intermediate its ends with a longitudinal row of longitudinally spaced openings 26 (Fig. 8). It will thus be seen that the openings may be turned downwardly as illustrated in Figure 8 to discharge poultry feed carried through the conduit, or they may be turned upwardly to prevent such discharge of feed passing through the conduit. Each separate section 12 is equipped with cross handles 22 by which it may be rotated, and each sleeve or collar 14 is provided with an internally screw threaded opening 24 for the reception of the threaded end 26 of a handled screw 2S so that when a section 12 has been turned to the desired position, it may be locked by causing the threaded end of the screw to impinge thereagainst. Carried by the endmost collar or sleeve 14 adjacent one end ofthe conduit i9 is a tubular section 30 having formed therein an elongated radial slot 32, and like the sections 12 the section Si) is rotatable in the sleeve 14 of the adjacent section to move the slot into registration with separate passages in the storage bin to be hereinafter more fully described. The tubular section 30 may be rotated about its longitudinal axis in order to change the position of the slot 32 therein by and upon partial turning of the connected sections 12, by means of the handles 22. Carried by the sleeve or collar 14 adjacent the opposite end of the conduit 10 is a tubular section 36 which is solid throughout its entire length and need not be rotatable relative to the collar 14 in which it is supported. This section 36 constitutes the discharge end section of the conduit 1@ through which excess feed not discharged tinough the discharge openings 20 is discharged from the conduit for return to the feed containing bin.

In the preferred forni of the invention, the conduit as illustrated in Figure 2, comprising the sections'12, 3G and 36, is substantially U-shaped with the legs and bight portion designated i7, lying horizontal. Each end of the bight portion 17 has a collar 14a thereon in which is rotatably positioned the collarless end of a section 12. which is free to turn therein at all times. This collar 14a may carry a suspension eye 16a for connection with a suspension cable ld. Supported in any suitable manner adjacent to the ends of the legs of the U-shaped conduit il) remote from the bight portion 17 thereof is a table 37 upon which are mounted for rotation about spaced vertical axes a drive wheei 3S and an idler the peripheries of which lie in substantially axial alignment with the Y wall 54 into two separate hoppers 56'and 58.

i the section .'56 of the conduit 16.

a substantially` transversely V-shaped hopper 68 which isV t It Will thus be seen that when the motor 48 is energized,

the chain 42 will be'mov'ed in a closed path through the conduit 10.

' Y Supported on a suitable frame-work 5@ above the table 37 Vis a bin 52 (Pig. 3) which is divided by a partition A spout 60 depends from the lower end of the hopper and the partition wall 54 extends vertically through said spout to Y separate it into two separate passages 62 and which communicate with their respective bins 56 and SS. VThis structure enables two different types of feed to be supported in the bin 52, and by rotating the section 39 and the sections'12 which are coupled therewith about their longitudinal axes, the slot 32 therein may be moved into in the sections 12 thereof a suitable receiver 66 is supported on the trarne adjacent to the discharge end of rfhis receiver comprises closed at opposite ends by end walls 79 and carries at its lower end a curved portion 72 in which a conveyor screw 74 is mounted to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis' Extending upwardly from the baci; side of the V- shaped hopper 68 is Va vertical wall 76 against which the section 36 of the conduit l@ is disposed. As illustrated in'Figures l and 5, the discharge'end of the section 36 of the conduit 19 terminates substantially midway between the opposite ends of the wall "76 so that feed being discharged frorn the end of the section 36 of the conduit 1i? Y will fall into the hopper or receiver 66 to be moved longitudinally therethrough by means of the screw conveyor 74. The screw conveyor 74 is equipped with a longitudit nally extending'drive' shaft 73 which extends through the end wall of the hopper 68 adjacent the discharge section 36 of the, conduit 16 and is equipped withY a drive pulley 80 Vwhich has driving connection with a suitable prime mover 82, lsuch as an electric motor, through the medium of a drive belt 84. The end of the hopper or receiver 66 remote fromthe pulley 80 on the drive shaft 78 is'pro Vvided with a discharge spout 86 for discharging the feed advanced through'the receiver 66 by the screw conveyor 74`into a suitable elevator S8 which extends upwardly and Y has its discharge end 90 disposed substantially directly above the partition wall 54 in the bin 52.V A discharge Vspout 92 is swivelly coupled at 94 to the discharge end of the elevator V88 so that it may be swung in a horizontall arc to bringl its discharge end over the hopper 56 or 58 according to the desire of the user.

The device so far described will be found perfectly satisfactory for distributing feed to a large flock or flocks Y are simply pierced to receive the tubular sections 12 of the conduit 10 whereas the feed trough 98 may be de- 4 V mountably supported on its respective section 12 of the conduit 10. Each feed trough 96 and 98 comprises a trough shaped body 162 having end walls which close opposite ends of the troughs. Each end wall 194 of the trough 102 is provided in its upper end withra recess 106V for the reception of the underside of its respective pipe section 12. Pivotally connected as at Vlti to each end wall 164 adjacent its recess 106 is a suspending member ywhich is provided adjacentl its upper Vend with an opening 112 for the reception of a trunnion 114' of a bladed spinner 116 which functions to discourage the birds from roosting above the troughs. The opposite side ofthe member 110 is detachably coupled tothe adjacent end wall 104 by a bolt 11S which is provided with a wing nut 120 to facilitate therapid mounting or demounting of the trough on its respective section 12 of the conduit 10. It will be understood, of course, that the feed troughs 96 or 98 are suspended on their respective sections 12 of the conduit 10 beneath the discharge openings 2i`l therein so as to receive the feed discharged through'said openings.

In use it will be understood that the bins 56 and 58 of the hopper 52 receive two different types of feed'which falling Vdownwardly through said bins'enter the passagesY 62 and 64 respectively. The user by rotating the string'V of sections'14 and'30 of the conduit 10 Vmay move the slot 32 into registration with the lower end of either passage 62 or 64 so that the feed contained therein will enter the conduit 10 to be moved .therethroughby the chain 42. With the motor 48 energized, it will be evident thatthe chain 42 will move through the conduit 10,Y thus carrying with it the feed that has been deposited in the section 30 thereof longitudinally through 'the conduit and as the feed passes the conduit sections 12 having the discharge openings 20Y therein disposed downwardly, Va portion of the feed carried by the chain will be discharged through the openings 20 into the feed trough supported there? below. By rotating a conduit section 12 about its longitudinal axis to bring the openings therein out of discharge position, it will be evident that no feed will be deposited inthe trough. supported therebeneath.V Any excess feed i which is carried beyond the discharge openings in the conway into the elevator 88 and discharge spout 92 to be re- .Y

turned toV a selected bin 56 or 58. In this way no feed `is wasted and economies of both time and labor may be effected in feeding a large flock or docks of poultry.

While in the foregoing there has Vbeen shown and described the preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that minor charges in the details Vof construction, combination and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andY i scope of the invention as claimed.v

We claim:

1. In a poultry feeder, a horizontally disposed conduit having a plurality of equidistantly spaced, downwardly directed, discharge outlets,rsaid conduit having an upwardly directed slotted inlet opening adjacent one of'its ends, a conveyor movable through said conduit to dis-YV tribute feed entering said inlet opening to said dischargeV outlets, power means for driving saidk conveyor, a feed trough positioned beneathsaid dischargefoutlets, means at each end ofthe trough for detachably suspending the trough from said conduit free from ground contact, a

opening.

2. The poultry feeder as defined in claim 1, ,with the said suspension means comprising at metal elements of substantially triangular form, each having a recess formed inthe center of its base edgefor straddling over said con- Y duit, a pivot mounting at a corner of the said base edge, and a securing element engageable with the opposite corner of said base edge.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 871,469 Blieduug Nov. 19, 1907 2,081,947 McCormack June 1, 1937 2,308,701 Martin Jan. 19, 1943 2,545,140 Escher Mar. 13, 1951 2,563,321 Dugan Aug. 7, 1951 2,589,706 Kitson et a1. Mar. 18, 1952 6 Roberts et al. Apr. 1, 1952 Doty et al June 2, 1953 Virgil July 21, 1953 Littlefield June 22, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 27, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES September 1948. 

